06 October 2021 < Back 2021 CAP Awards Shortlist 06 October 2021 COMMONWEALTH ASSOCIATION OF PLANNERS AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING PLANNING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE COMMONWEALTH The following award entries have been shortlisted for an award. They appear in random order. The winners will be announced on 8th November 2021 at the City Expo Malaysia . Congratulations to all those shortlisted! A. Planning for the climate emergency Project: Sistem Pemantauan Operasi Pam (SPOP) project Location: Malaysia Organisations: Melaka Historic City Council B. Planning for cities and human settlements / plan making in the Commonwealth Project: Planning for Residential Amenity, Location: Wellington New Zealand Organisations: Boffa Miskell, Wellington City Council, Novak + Middleton Project: Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan: Roadmap to Reinvention Location: Calgary Canada Organisations: City of Calgary Project: Klang Municipal Council Low Carbon City Action plan 2017-2027 Location: Selangor, Malaysia Organisations: Klang Municipal Council Project: Skudai River rejuvenation plan Location: Sungai Skudai, Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia Organisations: Iskandar Puteri City Council(MBIP) Surrounding Community ,University of Technology Malaysia C. Planning for equitable and inclusive cities and human settlements Project: Community Based Eco-Tourism Planning Location: Pantai Cunang, Selangor, Malaysia: Organisations: (PLANMalaysia (Federal Department of Town & Country Planning Peninsula Malaysia), Putrajaya, Kuala Langat Municipal Council, Committee of Pantai Cunang (Cunang Beach) Indigenous Community registered under the Department of Orang Asli (Indigenous People) Development Malaysia). Project: Precint 9 Putrajaya Community Stingless Bee Farm and Urban Farming Location: Putrajaya Malaysia Organisations: Perbadanan Project: Te Whaihanga, Location: New Zealand Organisations: Ako Aotearoa, Auckland Council, Te Hana Te Ao Marama D. Planning in response to natural or technological disasters Project: Community farming project at Kinari Low Cost Flat Location: Malaysia Organisations: Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP), University of Technology Malaysia (UTM) and Kenari Management Corporation Project: Application of Living with Flood Concept on Affordable Housing Scheme Location: Kampung Tiram, District of Kuantan, Pahang,Malaysia Organisations: Eastern Zone Project Office, PLANMalaysia (Department Of Town and Country Planning) and Kuantan City Hall Project: Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI): A Tool for Natural Coastal Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in Location: Peninsular Malaysia,Malaysia Organisation: Regional Planning Division, PLANMalaysia E. Planning for the conservation of the built and natural environment and cultural heritage Project: Urban Eels: Our Sustainable City Location: Palmerston North New Zealand Organisations: Gordon consulting,Tanenuiarangi Manawatū Incorporated Project: Rebranding and Conservation of Taiping City, Perak, Malaysia as a Heritage City Through Provision of Special Area Plan. Location: Taiping City, Perak, Malaysia Organisations: PLANMalaysia , Taiping Municipal Council F. Commonwealth Young Planner of the Year Shortlist Mohammed Maaz Ali – India Young Elias Young Daud – Malaysia Samson Olanrewaju – Nigeria Tania Munasinghe – Sri Lanka Ezekiel Ufuoma – Nigeria Safwan Shaari – Malaysia Fauziah Abd Jalil – Malaysia Full Detail Here 2021_CAP_Awards_Shortlist_Announced_V2.png 2021_CAP_Awards_Shortlist_Announced_V2.png 1/1

04 December 2015 < Back CAP Attends Royal Reception 04 December 2015 CAP had the great honour of being invited to a reception hosted by the HRH Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Charles to recognise the work of Commonwealth Organisations around the world. The event took place on 27 October 2015 at St James’s Palace, London and was timed to be in advance of the Commonwealth Heads of Governments’ meeting in Malta. CAP was represented by Secretary-General Clive Harridge and Honorary Vice President Professor Cliff Hague. Clive said: “It was a great honour for me to meet the Queen. She is an inspiration for the whole of the Commonwealth. As Head of the Commonwealth the Queen will lead the forthcoming CHOGM which provides a great opportunity for Commonwealth Governments to agree how they can take forward the Sustainable Development Goals recently approved by the UN”. 2016-NEWS-ITEM-CAP-Attends-Royal-Reception.jpg 2016-NEWS-ITEM-CAP-Attends-Royal-Reception.jpg 1/1

14 February 2022 < Back Coming Soon: A Book Capturing CAP’s Achievements 14 February 2022 A book capturing CAP's first 50 years will be published by Routledge in 2023. Planning, Sustainable Urbanisation, and the Commonwealth: The Commonwealth Association of Planners, Past, Present and Future records unique first-hand accounts from Commonwealth planners of the progress of modern planning over the last 50 years. It presents perspectives on the future role of the planning profession for delivering sustainable urbanisation and development across the Commonwealth and beyond. This well-illustrated book is edited and co-authored by Cliff Hague, Clive Harridge, Bryce Julyan, Ruiz Nik and Ian Tant. It includes contributions from CAP’s Past Presidents, our current President and Secretary-General and a wide range of others who have supported CAP. In tracing CAP’s first 50 years, the book looks at the emergence of sustainable urbanisation and the key role that CAP played in this. And it examines what might happen over the next 50 years. The book is due to be published by Routledge in mid-2023 and will be available in hardback, paperback and ebook formats. We are delighted to have received sponsorship from Beca, Turley and Atkins. All proceeds of sale will go to CAP and member organisations will each receive a free copy. Arrangements are being made for several book launch events in different locations which will also be used to promote the work of CAP – if you would be interested in hosting such an event please get in touch. Further information, including how to get your copy of Planning, Sustainable Urbanisation, and the Commonwealth , will appear here on CAP’s website soon. In the meantime, any queries can be emailed to Clive Harridge . LOGO_CAP_50_Years_No_Tagline.jpg LOGO_CAP_50_Years_No_Tagline.jpg 1/1

05 February 2021 < Back Call to Action on Sustainable Cities 05 February 2021 On 2nd February 2021, CAP joined partner associations in launching a Call to Action on sustainable urbanisation across the Commonwealth. The Call to Action has been produced jointly by:CAP, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Commonwealth Architects Association and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, working in association with the Princes Foundation. The release follows a programme of online events focused on sustainable urbanisation in the Commonwealth, which attracted over 2,000 individual participants from over 80 countries from June to September 2020. This replaced in-person debate at the postponed Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) due to have been held in June 2020. The aim remains to seek the support of all Commonwealth Governments in the rearranged CHOGM, held in Rwanda in June 2022. The Call to Action calls for: A greater focus on enabling sustainable urbanisation in Commonwealth policy making A Commonwealth dialogue to define and implement a new way of working across our respective networks towards multi-level governance and sustainable urbanisation A commitment by member states to a new Commonwealth Initiative of practical action to support sustainable cities and human settlements across the Commonwealth to respond to the Call to Action and to play their full role in achieving the SDGs. This will be driven by Commonwealth cities and human settlements, and delivered by relevant Commonwealth partners and other governmental, professional and technical partners. Visit the Commonwealth Sustainable Cities website for more, including a Good Practice Platform. Speaking about the Call to Action, CAP President Eleanor Mohammed says: “Planners around the world work with communities and governments to create the cities of the future. Sustainable Urbanisation is critical if we are to achieve resilient, inclusive and productive cities and given that urban economies account for 80% of the global GDP, we need them to be successful. The CTA asks for the leaders of Commonwealth nations to ensure Sustainable Urbanisation is at the forefront of the recovery and future development agenda.” 2021_Call_to_Action.png 2021_Call_to_Action.png 1/1

12 November 2018 < Back What are the key issues, barriers and solutions in engaging young people in the development process? - Call for Examples and Best Practice 12 November 2018 At the CAP Business Meeting and Planning Africa Conference in Cape Town South Africa CAP Young Planners launched a new Call for Practice and Examples. We would like to hear your examples and practice about how you have engaged Young People in the Development Process. What have you done in your city? What ideas have been effective? This builds on the principles in the CAP Youth Manifesto created in April 2018: We believe, the Commonwealth member states should actively engage Young People in the creation of their future cities Young people should be provided with the resources, and guidance required to set up and grow cross-sector networking organisations across the Commonwealth to collectively strengthen their own voice. Promotion of exchange of ideas across nation states to build one another’s capacity and address economic, social and environmental challenges. Do you have an effective tool that others can use and learn from? The objective of this toolkit is: For more young people to understand the key issues around urbanization and be involved in the development process For all Planners/Planning Practitioners/Built Environment Professions to shape Young Peoples involvement in the development process. Raise the profile of SDG 11 with Young People Give professionals the tools, advice and guidance to help young people to be involved throughout the development process Please send your short essays to viral.desai.cap@outlook.com by the 14th December 2018 Download Call for Examples and Best Practice 2018-MANIFESTO-Powering-Our-Common-Future-Thumb.jpg 2018-MANIFESTO-Powering-Our-Common-Future-Thumb.jpg 1/1

18 September 2018 < Back CAP Awards for Outstanding Planning Achievement in the Commonwealth: Shortlist Announced! 18 September 2018 Following an excellent response to the call for entries to the inaugural CAP Awards for Outstanding Planning Achievement in the Commonwealth our three eminent Judges (Trudi Elliott CBE, Professor Barbara Norman and Emeritus Professor Cliff Hague OBE) have identified a short list of entries. Congratulations to the following entries which have made it to the Awards shortlist: In alphabetical order: Embedding Young People in Planning and Engagement Processes Key organisations: Cred Consulting, City of Parramatta Council. Location: Parramatta CBD, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Curio Bay Tumu Toka Infrastructure Collaboration Key organisations: Opus International Consultants Ltd, South Catlins Charitable Trust, Southland District Council, Department of Conservation. Location: Curio Bay, Southland, New Zealand Ghana 40-year Long Term National Development Plan Key organisations: Government of Ghana, Ghana Institute of Planners. Location: Ghana Innovative risk-based planning & engagement for Natural Hazards Key organisations: Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Enfocus, GNS Science & Integrity Professionals Limited. Location: Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand Manurewa, Takanini and Papakura Integrated Area Plan Key organisations: Auckland Council. Location: Auckland, New Zealand. New Plymouth District Council - Building an E-Plan Key organisations: New Plymouth District Council, Isovist Ltd. Location: New Plymouth District, New Zealand. Risk Mapping and Planning for Urban Preparedness Key organisations: Beca International Consultants Limited. Location: Port Vila and Luganville, Vanuatu Te Tai Tokerau Papakāinga Toolkit Key organisations: Barker & Associates, in collaboration with Far North District Council, Kaipara District Council, Northland Regional Council and Whangarei District Council. Location: Northland, New Zealand. Click here to view shortlist on the CAP Good Practice Platform The Overall Winner of the Award and a number of Commendations will be announced at the Planning Africa Conference in Cape Town on 16 October 2018. Clive Harridge Secretary-General Embedding Young People in Planning and Engagement Processes Key organisations: Cred Consulting, City of Parramatta Council. Location: Parramatta CBD, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The City of Parramatta, located in Western Sydney, Australia, is experiencing significant growth and transformation through urban renewal. By 2036, young people (aged 12 to 24) will represent 16% of the population (64,000 people), while thousands of young people from diverse backgrounds visit the Parramatta CBD each day to work, study, and shop. The Needs of Young People in the Parramatta CBD study aimed to recognise the contribution of young people to the City, identify opportunities to make the CBD more welcoming for young people, and make recommendations to embed engagement with young people in Council’s planning activities. This resulted in the first youth led annual Parramatta Youth Forum which provides an ongoing mechanism to build community capacity in planning, engage with young people, and inform major planning and policy projects. Curio Bay Tumu Toka Infrastructure Collaboration Key organisations: Opus International Consultants Ltd, South Catlins Charitable Trust, Southland District Council, Department of Conservation. Location: Curio Bay, Southland, New Zealand. The Curio Bay Infrastructure Collaboration was a project focused on addressing visitor related environmental issues at Curio Bay in Southland, New Zealand. Curio Bay is a small coastal settlement and a popular tourist destination. Three parties (South Catlins Charitable Trust (SCCT), Southland District Council (SDC) and the Department of Conservation (DOC) came together to agree on a shared vision for the area. Each party through the collaboration identified an infrastructure project they wished to progress, aiming to provide a better experience for tourists to the area whilst addressing the environmental effects of high visitor numbers. SCCT proposed development of a Visitor Centre, SDC a wastewater treatment plant and DOC an amenity upgrade incorporating a new carpark and toilets. The project has achieved the aim of each organisation and improved overall amenity and visitor experiences while providing advanced protection and conservation of the natural and physical resources of Curio Bay. Ghana 40-year Long Term National Development Plan Key organisations: Government of Ghana, Ghana Institute of Planners Location: Ghana. In 2010, the government of Ghana set up a Constitutional Review Committee to review the national Constitution which has been in practice since 1992. The Committee teased out 44 items to engage the public in the discussion. In the end, 50% of the respondents requested for the preparation of a long-term national development plan which should be made binding on all successive governments. The government rejected it as it will 'have the effects of a command model of development planning and tie the hands of successive governments to the ideological interest and policies of a particular political party' . The Ghana Institute of Planners adopted an advocacy role by engaging the public through data collection, sensitization of its members, press briefings, stakeholder engagements, dialogue with key stakeholders to make our position known to the government. In the process other national bodies joined the 'crusade' and the government eventually adopted the concept and the plan is being prepared for implementation. Innovative risk-based planning & engagement for Natural Hazards Key organisations: Bay of Plenty Regional Council Location: Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand. In 2012 the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (New Zealand) embarked on a process to change its Regional Policy Statement (RPS) to better manage risk through land use planning. The resulting 2016 operative RPS has risk-based natural hazards provisions that provide a regionally-consistent framework for managing the region’s natural hazards, including low likelihood and high consequence hazards, according to their risk (determined by both likelihood and consequence). This outcome, at the forefront of the nation’s risk approach to avoiding and mitigating natural hazards, was achieved through: formal governance direction and decision making, a collaborative project management process reflecting the complexity of the subject matter and the breadth to interests involved, and responsive policy formulation that took account of evolving national guidance, led innovative community engagement, and addressed the needs of stakeholders. Manurewa, Takanini and Papakura Integrated Area Plan Key organisations: Auckland Council. Location: Auckland, New Zealand. The Manurewa, Takanini and Papakura Integrated Area Plan, developed by Auckland Council, is a spatial plan that guides the long-term future of these areas. Its successful collaborative and innovative public engagement process, has demonstrated great innovation and planning practice in community consultation and public engagement. From start through to completion, Council set the challenge to carry out engagement that was easy to read, meaningful to the community, and would allow a diverse range of people to participate in the planning process. The result was creating a fluro-orange branded campaign with interactive engagement tools to create maximum visual impact. It was distinctive and created a common visual identity and engagement brand for the community and got people talking. The success of this approach is evident in the amount of feedback received and through the new relationships formed with the community, that truly represents the views of the people that live there. New Plymouth District Council - Building an E-Plan Key organisations: New Plymouth District Council, Isovist Ltd. Location: New Plymouth District, New Zealand. The New Plymouth E-plan is an on-line platform that provides a one stop shop for planning. E-planning will be a statutory requirement in New Zealand that councils will need to transition to over time. Being the first council with Isovist Ltd to produce a new GIS driven plan in a digital format we have created significant opportunities for others to benefit and leverage from so we can deliver more robust and consistent plans for our communities. The principles and innovations in this project are transferable to other planning systems not only in New Zealand but also in the Commonwealth. Risk Mapping and Planning for Urban Preparedness Key organisations: Beca International Consultants Limited. Location: Port Vila and Luganville, Vanuatu. The project assembled and interpreted a substantial body of existing data into risk maps fir the five natural hazards (flood, earthquake, wind, coastal inundation and tsunami) for the two main urban settlements of Vanuatu - Port Vila and Luganville. The maps categorised risks from natural hazards using a simplified "traffic light"approach. Future growth trends were examined as well as recent settlement patterns. A risk responsive management strategy was developed to address mapped hazard distributions including risk sensitive land use planning development controls (building code) and early warning system for evacuation planning. Community lead tsunami evacuation plans were developed and signage provided for evacuation routes. Evacuation drills have been undertaken. The project has provided the Government of Vanuatu planners and managers with evidence based, realistic but simplified hazard models and maps to allow risk responsive future planning. Te Tai Tokerau Papakāinga Toolkit Key organisations: Barker & Associates, in collaboration with Far North District Council, Kaipara District Council, Northland Regional Council and Whangarei District Council. Location: Northland, New Zealand. In mid-2017, four councils and a planning consultancy based in Northland, New Zealand began to work collaboratively on a guidance tool to assist Māori land owners to navigate the planning process to undertake papakāinga developments on their ancestral lands. The outcome of this collaboration was the Te Tai Tokerau Papakāinga Toolkit (‘the Toolkit’) and an associated summary brochure, which provide an accessible and informative medium to assist Māori land owners. The Toolkit simplifies the planning process into five identified steps with key contact details and associated questionnaires, checklists and diagrams. The document marries together traditional Māori concepts (tikanga) with the technical knowledge required to navigate the planning process. Communication is universal. The planning profession is often criticised for being overly wordy and long winded. The Toolkit shows that effective graphic design and simple communication techniques can be applied across the Commonwealth to effectively engage with stakeholders and communities. 2018-CAP-Awards_edited_edited.jpg 2018-CAP-Awards_edited_edited.jpg 1/1

14 August 2019 < Back The Planet in Intensive Care! 14 August 2019 CAP was represented by Neil Blackshaw (retired RTPI member and specialist in health and planning) at the launch of A “Manifesto to secure a healthy planet for all” at the Overseas League in London on 31st July. The Manifesto was developed by the InterAction Council a group of former heads of government that addresses some of the most difficult global challenges. The Manifesto to Secure a Healthy Planet for All – A Call for Emergency Action The launch was attended by representatives of the Governments of Papua New Guinea , Belize , Barbados, Sri Lanka, Germany, Denmark Ireland and Wales as well as many Commonwealth organisations, all of whom expressed strong support. The Manifesto draws on some of the most recent published research on climate change and biodiversity loss to argue that were the planet to be assessed as a patient it would be considered to be in a critical state, demanding of urgent and radical intervention. It effectively places an obligation on actors at all levels to work towards a healthy and sustainable environment. The basic premise is the need to align thinking and action on health and the environment. It builds on the work published in the Lancet since 2015 under the general title of Planetary Health. It also reflects the long-standing social determinants of health model and the WHO definition of health as ‘more than the absence of disease’. As such this initiative has great relevance for planning and and offers a valuable opportunity to build a common agenda with the health sector. It calls for the following broad actions. Security– A Critical Care Response for the Planet’s Health: with the declaration of a Climate and Environmental Crisis and the urgent establishment of an Emergency Response mechanism to ensure the rapid reversal of carbon emissions, the stabilisation of risks from runaway climate change and the protection of vulnerable populations. Recovery– Rehabilitation and Resilience: to enhance the recovery of the Planet’s Biodiversity and Eco-systems, creating healthy air, water, land and food systems, scaled up through Universal Health Systems for Planet, Place and People. A Flourishing Planet for All: combat denial and eco-anxiety bypromoting sustainable wellbeing by maximising multiple health and environmental benefits, including healthy eco-systems, and multi-sector, systems based urban planning and ‘One Health for One Planet Education’ approaches across the life-course, to create connected communities and cyclical economies, for a flourishing Planet for all. Guardianship for a Healthy Planet: every organisation and community to establish a ‘Guardian for the Planet’s Health’ responsible for:Planetary first aid, Emergency responses, Guardianship, Advocacy, Solutions, Unifying action and Sustaining a flourishing planet (PEGASUS); enabled by a Healthy Planet Index. Collaborative – Community and Health Professional Action: everyone can become a community ‘Guardian for the Planet’s Health’to: protect and strengthen resilience by greening communities; reduce consumption and waste, recycle and use clean energy and transport; walk, cycle and communicate digitally and shift to healthy, planet friendly foods. Community members, including health professionals can lead by example with quality services and promote healthy green communities with resilient families. Next steps Following on from the launch the Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health is establishing a hub to create a common resource to secure a healthy planet for all via a digital platform for Universal Health Systems for Planet, Place and People. This will be based at Southampton University, with a team of Commonwealth Digital Health Fellows. The Manifesto will be the subject of a side meeting at the forthcoming Climate Action Summit which is to be held in New York in September CAP Response CAP has endorsed the Manifesto in the above light. Speaking at the launch Neil Blackshaw outlined the work of CAO in influencing the sustainable development agenda He highlighted the critical importance of the process of urbanisation on health, climate change and the loss of biodiversity and the role of CAP in seeking to increase the capacity for planning throughout the Commonwealth. He also stressed the need for collaborative working with health organisations in meeting those challenges. It is hoped that there will be opportunities to collaborate with the Centre for Digital Health in both raising awareness of the urgency of the situation and developing capacity and strategies for meeting the challenge. In the long run it is hoped that the Manifesto will stimulate and facilitate closer working between health and planning organisations across the Commonwealth. Member organisations are thus urged to look for opportunities to pursue the actions outlined in the Manifesto on a collaborative basis. 2019_The_Planet_in_Intensive_Care.jpg 2019_The_Planet_in_Intensive_Care.jpg 1/1

Memorandums of Understanding 1 MoU between EAROPH (International) and EAROPH (Australia) and The Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP) with New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) in Principle Read the MoU 2 MoU between The United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) and The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and The Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) and The Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP) and The Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) Read the MoU 3 MoU between The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and The Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) and The Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) and The Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP) Read the MoU

05 October 2022 < Back Commonwealth Association of Planners East Africa Planning Network Formed to Address Challenges Cities Face 05 October 2022 The establishment of the East Africa Planning Network in June of 2022 will further the planning of sustainable, resilient cities and human settlements in East Africa. On June 23rd, 2022 a declaration to advance the planning profession in East Africa was signed in Kigali, Rwanda. The declaration establishes an East Africa Planning Network, an important step forward in recognising the essential contribution of planners to well-functioning and sustainable cities. It was signed by the Rwanda Urban Planning Institute, Uganda Institute of Physical Planners, Tanzania Institute of Town Planners, Kenya Institute of Planners, and Commonwealth Association of Planners. “With cities growing at a rapid rate across East Africa, there is an urgent need for shared knowledge, tools and skills among planners, so that cities and human settlements are inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable,” said Kelley Moore, Secretary General of the Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP). “The coming together of the East Africa Network is an important beginning,” said Hon. Grace Tubwita, President of the Uganda Institute of Planners. “Our keeping together shall bring progress and working together shall ensure successful sustainable urban development in East Africa.”President of the Kenya Institute of Planners, Joakim Nyarangi, called the formation of the East Africa Network an idea whose time has come. “It brings with it the strength in Unity of Purpose to take required action to achieve sustainable urbanisation within our region and the larger Commonwealth.” The Rwanda Urban Planning Institute (RUPI), President, Vivien Munyaburanga, said: “Together we can tackle the challenges of urbanisation and the sustainable development of human settlements in Africa.” 221005-NEWS-ITEM-CAP-East-Africa-Network.jpg 221005-NEWS-ITEM-CAP-East-Africa-Network.jpg 1/1

07 July 2020 < Back Commonwealth Sustainable Urbanisation 07 July 2020 The Commonwealth Sustainable Urbanisation Programme was launched on 24 June by HRH The Prince of Wales. The Programme is a series of online free sessions which focus on engaging with the theme of sustainable urbanisation in the Commonwealth. With nearly 50% of the projected increase in the world’s urban population to 2050 forecast to be in the Commonwealth, there has never been a more important time for members of the Commonwealth to come together to tackle the challenges of climate change and rapid urbanisation; challenges which have now been compounded by the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. The programme sets out to: Build on the momentum which has already been developed in response to the need for sustainable urbanisation in the Commonwealth. Inform and strengthen a call to action on sustainable urbanisation in the Commonwealth through exchange of ideas and good practice. In the face of the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic, to advocate for the centrality of SDG 11 in reviewing the targets and achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals. Promote inter-disciplinary, cross-sector collaboration and engagement to address the challenges and unlock the opportunities presented by sustainable urbanisation across the Commonwealth. The programme is structured around the following key question: How can we collaborate more effectively to leverage the power of the Commonwealth to achieve sustainable urbanisation? The launch event is available as a recording online here . This online series will continue with weekly events through early September. The schedule of events and links to registration are here . 2020_Sustainable_Urbanisation_Programme.jpg 2020_Sustainable_Urbanisation_Programme.jpg 1/1

By Kristin Agnello, CAP Women in Planning Coordinator and CAP Vice-President, Canadian Institute of Planners < Back When Planners Design, We All Win 16 July, 2019 By Kristin Agnello, CAP Women in Planning Coordinator and CAP Vice-President, Canadian Institute of Planners “To inspire designers—too long the servants of producers—to better serve humanity as the ambassadors of the end-users: the citizens of the world.” ~Montreal Design Declaration, 2017 Nestled in the heart of the Cité du Design, the room is buzzing with debate, deliberation, and innovation. To my left sits a graphic designer and to my right, a social design researcher - both engaged in the debate about the future of design and what it means for society. Professionals, academics, government and privately-funded researchers, and nonprofit design organizations – representing a wide-variety of disciplines – are gathered at the Design Declaration Pre-Summit Meetings in Saint-Étienne to discuss the world’s most wicked problems and the role of design in solving them. Pressing and highly complex, wicked problems have multiple causal factors and high levels of disagreement about the nature of the problems – and the approach to addressing them. Flashback to October 2017, when delegates from 22 international organizations, representing over 500,000 creative professionals – met for the first time to discuss design as a driver of innovation, growth, development, and prosperity. This inaugural World Design Summit Meeting in Montréal concluded with the ratification of the unprecedented Montréal Design Declaration in the presence of three UN agencies. The Declaration proclaims the potential of design to achieve global economic, social, environmental and cultural objectives and marks the first time that the design community - across disciplines - began speaking with one voice. The Design Declaration Pre-Summit Meeting that took place in Saint-Étienne in April 2019 represents the first milestone on a path toward realizing the aspirational goals and vision outlined the Montréal Design Declaration. This meeting focused on the development and deliberation of three key projects that were identified as highest priority by the Declaration Signatories in a recent internal survey: design metrics; design research and education; and government design policy. Design Metrics Too often, planning and design discourse is bogged down with jargon, technical details, and industry-specific references. But, how we articulate design intent is critical to conveying the value of design to society. Conversations must begin early and include everyone in society, utilizing metrics that are relevant to designers and non-designers alike. By not adequately conveying the value of planning and design, non-designers may undervalue the role and potential of design for social transformation, and – perhaps more importantly – underestimate the social and economic costs of bad design. Design Research and Education Design thinking is increasingly being recognized in business, government, and beyond, as a core skill and a key indicator of success. The time has come to ensure that design education adequately equips professionals with the skills necessary to take on management and governance roles. There is currently a significant gap between academia and practice in the design disciplines and discussions are underway about how to address this gap through mentorship, co-operative work terms, and reimagined educational approaches. If creativity and innovation are to be valued, then we must prepare our students and professionals with the skills needed for them to be valuable. Government Design Policy If design is to be leveraged worldwide to improve the lives of everyone, everywhere, then perhaps it is time to reevaluate the policy directions that impact – and are impacted by – our government leaders, funding agencies, and agents of change. To create an international design policy – by designers for designers – that embraces intersectionality and drives social and spatial change could address specific challenges in design standards, nomenclature, evaluation, and education. However, to be effective, such a policy would require a powerful cohort of leaders who will champion the power and potential of design in all disciplines and discussions. The Design Declaration and the Future of Planning Reflecting upon the discussions that took place at both the World Design Summit Meeting in Montréal and the Design Declaration Pre-Summit Meeting in Saint-Etienne, there is great potential to leverage planning and design to confront social and economic inequities and address environmental concerns. It cannot be understated that the environmental and social emergencies that we are facing have prompted an urgency that has never before been articulated in our profession: we cannot build our way out of disaster once it has occurred. Planning needs to remain a forward thinking profession, driven by innovation, intersectional collaboration, and creative exploration. If the heart of design and invention is prototyping, perhaps there is an opportunity to approach planning – and through it, the wicked problems of the world – within a mindset of exploration, experimentation, and critical reflection. “Because everyone deserves to live in a well-designed world.” For more information about the Design Declaration Summits, please click here . Click here to read the Montreal Design Declaration Previous Back to Top Next

08 May 2017 < Back World Urban Forum 08 May 2017 The capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, will host the Ninth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF9) in 2018. UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, as the convener of WUF, announced the decision on Monday 3 November as the culmination of a six months bidding process. United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UN-Habitat Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos, has informed Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government of Malaysia, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, of the decision during the Fifth Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD) that is currently being held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 3 to 5 November 2014. After the bilateral meeting held with the Minister, Dr. Clos remarked that, in addition to its excellent bid, Kuala Lumpur was “bringing the WUF back to Asia. The continent has hosted the Forum once in 2008 in Nanjing, China, but it is where more than half of the world’s urban population lives,” he said. “This region has accounted for about 65 per cent of the demographic expansion of all urban areas across the world since the beginning of the 21st century.” Clos extended his congratulations to the city of Kuala Lumpur and the Government of Malaysia for its commitment towards sustainable urban development by hosting the Forum. “At the World Urban Forum, thousands of stakeholders meet every two years to share practices and knowledge on how cities are built, planned and managed”. WUF9 will be the first Forum to be held after the Post 2015 Development Agenda Process and the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development – Habitat III in 2016. The Habitat conference is a global legislative conference organized every 20 years to review and define the urban agenda and pave the way for UN-Habitat’s vision towards a new urban future. Click here for full details NEWS-ITEM-2018-World-Forum-2.jpg NEWS-ITEM-2018-World-Forum-2.jpg 1/1